Mini dental implants retaining mandibular overdentures: A dental practice-based retrospective analysis
Available online 15 January 2016
Abstract
Purpose
The
purpose of this study was to assess the survival of mini dental
implants (MDI) and to measure prosthetic maintenance needs in a dental
practice-based setting.
Methods
Patients
with mandibular removable dentures were provided with MDI to improve
denture retention. Complications and maintenance were analyzed by use of
patient records and evaluated with Kaplan–Meier curves and the log rank
test at a significance level of 0.05.
Results
Ninety-nine
MDI were placed in 25 patients (mean age: 72 years). Two MDI fractured
during placement and eight implants failed during the first weeks. No
more implants were lost for up to seven years, resulting in 92%
survival. Implant survival differed significantly depending on whether
the maxilla was provided with complete dentures (94.9%) or with partial
dentures (81%). All prostheses were in use at the time of data
extraction. Denture base fractures were observed in six cases, an
incidence of fractures of 24%. Some minor intervention was necessary:
one resin tooth fractured, retention rings were changed in five cases,
and repeated relining was required for 16% of the dentures.
Conclusions
After
mid-term observation, survival of MDI was good. However, the incidence
of denture base fractures and of minor prosthetic complications should
not be under-estimated.
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